Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-01-26

| that which belongs to him. The man
who ID dubadg t,ldtked. tttaft yriaed
kills; the man who has his face slapped
in public, kills; the man who is dis.
honored, kills. | have been worse
robbed, worse duped, worse martyr,
lied, worse insulted, and dishonored
morally than any one of those whose
anger you might condone.
! II have avenged myself; have kill.
Sd That Ras my legitimate right ]
took their happy life Fway, iii exchange
for that hideous life which they impof.
ed upon me-
You may talk of parricide! Were
thef ever to he. considered my parents
these people oy WhGiF | Wis ragard-
ed merely as an abominable burdeh,
a terror, load OF infamy-these PEG.
pie for whom my birth was calam-
ity, and my life perpetual menace oil
shame? They sought only their own
egotistieal will, they had u child they
did ifJt Want: They Suppressed that
child. And my turn came at last tt
suppress them likewise
"And, nevertheless, it is only little
while ago, that was ready to leave
them.
About two years ago, as | have al
ready told you, the man who was my
father entered my shop for the first
titne. | had no suspicion then. He
! ordered two articles offurniture made.
He had previously-as / afterward
learned=made INQUIRIES about ME OF
the PARISH Priest; ttndet PROMISE oil
secrecy, as you may well imagin6.
"He came back often: gave me plenty
of work to do, and paid me well. Some
times he would even converse with me
about this topic or that topic-ditfer-
ent things. i felt an affectionate re-
cord fer kitt4.
About the commencement OF the
year he brought to my place, for the
first time, his wife-my mother. When
she came in she trembed so much that
| at first supposed her to be afflicted
with some nervous disease. Then she
asked for chair and glass of water
She said nothing she stared at my
furniture like crazy woman; and when
he asked her anything she co Id only
answer, Yes, no. 1T random.
BY the title she left I had begun to
think that her mind was slightly at
fected.
"she came again the following
month. That time she was calm
and self-possessed. They gave ME
quite a large order, and chattei
with me for quite q considerable time.
| saw her three times more alter that
without suspectIng anything: but, 10
and behold, enc day she began to
question me about my life, about my
childhood. about my parents:
I" Madam | said MY parents were
miserable wretches, who disowned
me-
"When l said that she pressed her
hand over her heart and fell senseless
to the floor. | thought to myself at
once, That is my mother!' But |
knew better than to betray myself. |
waited to see her come again.
You may be sure | made Inquiries.
| learned they had only been married
the July before; MY mother had then
been widow three years. There
were whispered rumors that they had
loved during the lifetime Of the huss
band; but there was no proof. |, |
was the proof-the proof they had be-
gan by hiding, and had afterwards
hoped to destroy.
evening" accompanied, as usual, by
my father. That day she. seemed TO
be very much affected. | do not know
why. Then, just as she was going
away, she turned and said to me:
II wish you well, because you APP
pear to be a good young man and an
industrious one. You will be thinking
about getting married one of these
days; | want to help you to choose
yourself wife that you know will
suit you. | myself was once married
against my will, and know how much
an unfortunate match may
cause. Now | am free, without chill
dren and fich-mistress OF my own
fortune Here is your dowry.'
"She handed me q big sealed envel-
ope. / looked at her very hard. |
said to her;
You are my mother.
She shrank back little and hid
her face with her hands, so as not TO
see me. He-the man-my father
caught her IN his arms and shouted
10 me:
Why, YOU must be crazy!'
II answered: Not bit. | knowyou
two are my parents. You cannot
iool me that way. Confess the truth
and keep your secret; will have no
ii will against you; l will remain just
what | am q cabinetmaker.
HE moved back toward the door,
his wife in his arms she
was sobbing. brushed to the door, |
locked it. put the key in my pocket,
and said again:
"Look at her, and dare to deny |
again that she is my mother
''rhen he lost his temper, turned
at the idea that the |
scandal which had been so long hush
ID up might burst out all OF a sudden
that their position, their homer
would all be lost at once; he suffered |
)ut:
"You are villain trying to black
nail us. This is what comes OF trying |
o do good to the people-trying to
lelp and befriend clowns and brutes.
my mother completely overwhelm-
d, could only cry out, over and over
Ggain:
"'Oh, let us get out here!-let us get
,ut.'
Then, as the door was locked, he
ried
elf you don't open this door at
,nce I'll have you arrested for as
ault and attempt to blackmail.
II still kept my temper; opened
he door and watched them disap-
year in the darkness.
"Then, all OF II sudden, it seemed to
ne that | had suddenly been made
N orphan-had been again abandon
d-hung out into the gutter. A fright
al oppression, mingled with anger,
With hatred, with disgust, came upon
ne; felt within me something like an
Uprising of my very life-an uprising
u the name of justice, in the name of
onor, IN the name OF truth, i'll the
anne of affection trampled upon. |
an to over take them-aiong the bank
f the Seine, which | knew they would
ave to follow in order to reach the
abroad station OF Chanton.